Lightroom for Linux - is it possible? Most my friends and I need it, because of not using Windows and current Linux tools can't get so great instruments for raw preprocessing and organizing...
Unlikely, IMHO. First, Linux users like free stuff. Second, most of them that would be users are already users on other platforms. Combine that with the low single digit percentages of Linux deployment and you have very little market, in my opinion.
Sure, I am on another platform for my photos, but not my own free will. I upgrade my box every 2 years, dedicated to photos. The best of having Lightroom on Linux is for my related to storage and hardware. I can have a file system that is open and hard-drives that are accessible on other computers. Try that with the propriety filesystem of Mac-OS (Windows I don't know after their 'fat' filesystem).
I guess there will me more photogs that will go for Linux if Lightroom is available. You get a lot of stuff for free ;-), you can pick your own hardware, build redundant servers, connect secure to the Internet.
Those of you pointing out that you have purchased windows simply to run Lightroom and other adobe products, or that you maintain such a system for that purpose, may be hurting the case for Lightroom on Linux rather than helping it.
Lightroom licenses are multiplatform. When you buy Lightroom you're free to use it on Mac or Windows. Assuming that Linux will not be a paid addition, that means that for Adobe to make money by supporting Lightroom on Linux there would have to be people out there who currently use only Linux and therefore have not purchased Lightroom. If you've already bought Lightroom and are using it on a Windows/Mac system you begrudgingly maintain for that purpose you unfortunately do not represent any additional business for Adobe.
Personally, I would like to switch entirely over to Linux and Lightroom is one thing, possibly the only thing, that holds me back. I have not upgraded from LR3 to LR4 yet, even though 4 has some excellent new features. However, if Linux support were included in LR4 I would surely upgrade.
Pascal - yes, we have lots of hard data on the Linux market.
It is not chicken and egg -- several companies have tried selling desktop software in the Linux market, and failed (some companies collapsed, some just left the Linux market after a year or so).
At this time, the Linux software "market" consists mostly of film studios who already have licenses for the desktop software on Macintosh or Windows. The single end-user market for Linux is tiny indeed.
Until a demonstrable market for desktop software on Linux appears -- most companies are not going to spend money on Linux ports or support. That's why everyone is watching the Steam port - to see if the numbers might really exist, and if they're willing to pay more than pocket change for software.
Is waiting to see what's happening with Steam a good strategy? I mean Adobe is a strong company, Valve has stepped in, why not follow? Why not make this attempt stronger?
Also I'm a software developer and I pretty well know that if the software is properly developed, supporting another platform, especially Linux when Mac-OSX is already supported, should not be that difficult. So if it does not cost that much, won't it be a good move?
But I know I'm dreaming at this point, I see what people are responding on this forum and I see what Adobe as done with Flash on Linux! I've lost all hope about Lightroom on Linux. I'll continue to go here, but I'll spend more time to look at some alternatives.
Ok, you can follow the path you like... that's really sad!
Wasn't you or Dan (or another Adobe employee?) saying that most part of Lightroom was platform independent (core computing) and that the UI was on a technology that could be easily supported on Linux?
I think I said Lr's core parts are reasonably portable, but that doesn't contradict Chris' point that porting to and fully testing a third platform would be a non-trivial effort (and thus, cost). Also, I said that about Lightroom 2 and Lr4 has added more components that may or may not be as portable...
If Adobe doesn't want to invest in making a version for Linux, can they not, at the very least, make enough of the source code available that a project group could make an interface for the Windows version to work properly in WINE?
Since I'm in the MN Adobe office and CodeWeavers is right in town, it has crossed my mind to drop them a line and ask about working together on getting changes into Wine and/or Lr to make it work. But I haven't yet. I always figured they're more focused on gaming. The Wine most requested apps leader board is dominated by games.
I imagine they've all but given up on Adobe. I bet CodeWeavers would *jump* on the chance to bring a big-name Adobe application to Linux. Adobe and CodeWeavers would both get my money.
Actually, we've worked with Codeweavers for several years to fix bugs in Wine and make our apps work better under Wine. But, of course we can't give them source code.
Just an idea for clearing up whether Linux people are willing to pay for the LR for Linux. There is http://www.kickstarter.com portal where you can describe your project and its budget. I believe "porting LR4 for Linux" is a creative enough :). If people like your project and the budget makes sense, they can donate to the project budget. This kind of actions show for the community that Adobe is at least considering the project.
Another clear sign would be if Adobe says on LR's FAQ page that: "there will never be a LR for Linux". People will not spend time for hoping and waiting.
"Watching, how will Valve's Steam project go" is not like serious policy ... if Adobe starts now I'm sure both projects will get stronger and get more attention.
Well, but considering how many people use Linux nowadays, it might be a cost well worth. See the current porting of Steam and the gleeful anticipation of the community, for example.
Not that on my side I have lost all patience and all faith about Lightroom on GNU/Linux. I'm a developer already working on different Open Source softwares, and I'm now looking actively at Darktable and contributing a bit. After doing some more testing I'm very impressed about the current quality of the result. I have already invested some time to migrate some of my presets to Darktable.
Ok, Lighroom is lot more advanced when comparing all the features like publish services, printing... But at this point I'm ready migrating, loosing all those whistles and bells... Soon Darktable will have local adjustments, that will be the end of Lighroom for me...
And yes I'm not happy at all with Adobe, I'll stop doing training about Lightroom and will encourage people using Darktable.
I been a keen linux user for over 13 years now. Remember what linux is for though, hacking and the server room. Its never going to make it on the desktop (even though I have been hearing, for more than 10 years now, that THIS year, is the year of the linux desktop). Its never going to happen though.
My suggestion, get a KVM switch and a Mac I did this and never looked back, its the best of both worlds
@justdanyul, thanks for the advice! Don't know what you are trying to say by "not going to the desktop", you must probably be living in another planet.
But I'm not going to follow your advice, my move has been to join the Darktable project and coding many functions to make it work for my workflow. I'm going to move to Darktable only this year for sure. I'm already using it for many of my work except my studio work. This year, with the local adjustment I'll probably move to Darktable only. I'll also stop to be a Lightroom teacher on my free time. I don't see the point helping Lightroom whent Lighroom has failed me.
So MY advice to people following this forum, register to the Darktable project and help the project by coding, testing, translating the user's guide...
Could you at least try to be less wilfully obnoxious?
But I'm not going to follow your advice, my move has been to join the Darktable project and coding many functions to make
Great - when can we look forward to a Windows port? Fair's fair, after all - and the Darktable devs don't have any commercial constraints getting in the way of developing a Win version, do they?
Or is it one rule for the FOSS communuty, and another for everyone else? You seem to have a lot to say about your expecation that other people should be helping you, so are you going to help others by encouraging its devs to get Darktable out to the biggest OS platform out there?
Are there any news from Adobe?
The only reason to start Windows is Lightroom and PS. If those would run on Linux, there is no need to boot into Windows anymore.
The main reason I'm running Windows, is just for Lightroom and Photoshop. It does look like some people are running these apps on linux using WINE, but I don't have the time to play around with trying to get that working right now. I've installed cygwin to have some familiar tools, but I would love to run linux most of the time. If Adobe ported these applications to linux, I'd be VERY tempted to switch back to linux on my main system.
429
Replies
AdChoices